The college football slate is loaded once again this weekend, but Ohio State football's Week 8 matchup with Penn State might be the most anticipated game of them all. This one will not only be a battle for Big Ten supremacy but also likely a chance to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.
This will be a statement win for both programs when the No. 7 Nittany Lions travel to Ohio Stadium to face the No. 3 Buckeyes in a top-10 showdown. Both Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day and Penn State football head coach James Franklin seem to have a lot to prove in this game.
For Day, he's been fighting a narrative that he can't win big games against highly-ranked opponents. But his biggest obstacle has been Michigan over the last two seasons. For Franklin, his challenge is similar in that he just can't beat the two big dogs of the conference in Ohio State and Michigan, thus playing the third wheel. Against his opponent on Saturday, he's 1-8.
For Day and Ohio State, it's pretty simple: win, and it's on to Michigan. But they can't overlook the rest of the remaining opponents in doing so, or else they might be calling for his job. The Notre Dame win kept the doubters off Day's back for a while, but the next big hurdle is Penn State football, who might be the best they've been in decades. So, let's get into some Ohio State football predictions.
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Ohio State football has trouble running the ball against Penn State football
Penn State football's defense is only allowing 2.1 yards per carry and 67.4 total yards per game, ranking second best in the country. However, this Nittany Lions group hasn't faced a team as talented as the Buckeyes this season.
It's doubtful that the Buckeyes football team will be held under 3-plus yards per carry, even if they do have their stable of talented running backs banged up, including TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams, and Chip Trayanum. These guys could potentially be back for Saturday's game, but that's uncertain.
What is certain is that Ohio State isn't running the ball as effectively as they'd like to recently, especially against Maryland a couple of weeks ago when they only rushed for 62 yards. They'll need more than that to beat Penn State, but they could be held to under 100 yards again.
Marvin Harrison Jr. shows out against Penn State football
Though Ohio State beat Purdue fairly easily, they took some damage in doing so, including the injury to their talented wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. If he's out, then it's the Marvin Harrison Jr. show once again, as he has been for the last two weeks.
Harrison has recorded 14 catches, 268 yards, and two touchdowns in his last two games. He didn't go for over 100 yards with at least five catches and a touchdown only against Notre Dame. Expect this to be another big day for the big-time receiver, potentially finding the endzone on multiple occasions. However, this may be his toughest challenge, as Penn State has the best passing defense in the Big Ten.
Ohio State football scores the most points against Penn State this season
This prediction might not be bold, but the Buckeyes will put up some points against the Nittany Lions football team on Saturday. The Penn State defense is only allowing 8.2 points per game and 204 yards per game, per Team Rankings. However, the level of competition they've faced is weak. Ohio State, injured or not, still has plenty of playmakers to find the end zone.
The most points allowed in a single game by the Nittany Lions were against West Virginia in Week 1 (15). Though it might not be a sizable sample size, Penn State's defense has the worst red zone scoring percentage in the country, allowing 100 percent. The Buckeyes will score more than 15 points, possibly even in the first half.
Ohio State beats Penn State
This game could play out similarly to the Ohio State-Notre Dame game: little scoring and lots of defense. However, it could come down to who can make big plays down the field. This is where Ohio State football quarterback Kyle McCord has to find his No. 1 playmaker Marvin Harrison Jr., who has all the abilities to make big plays. There won't be much scoring, but there will be plenty of quarterback hits and tackles for a loss on both sides. Ohio State pulls out a close one at home, 23-21
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